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MADAGASCAR.
Affairs in Madagascar continue disturbed
as between the French and the Bovas, and
it is expected that the threatened French
expedition will very shortly be sent. Mr
Samuel Procter, consul in London for
Madagascar, states that the French forces
,on the island are busily engaged in
fortifying Diego-Suarez (or British Sound),
a port they hold in the extreme north of
'Madagascar, and are rapidly converting it
into a second Malta. In the event of the
Suez Canal being blocked in war time, Mr
Procter adds, a few French cruiBerp, with
Diego-Suartz as a depot and sal lying port,
could cripple British trade with India and
Australia. Writing on August 2, the
London Daily Telegraph said :— -r Affairs
appear to be growing more and more corh
plicated between the French and the
Malagasy Government. Every mail
brings with it accounts of fresh
grievances, incidents, and protests, and
now we learn that M. Froger, the Governor
of the French colony of Diego-Suarez, has
issued a circular' in which he says that the
Hovas have invaded this territory, that.it
is nob certain whether this may be the
beginning of hostilities, and that intellir
gence from Antananarivo leads to, the
apprehension that French relations with
the [Malagasy Government are now' so
strained that a perio'd of trouble may
follow. As. the local police will be in
sufficient,, an appeal is made in favour of
a volunteer movement to assist the
authorities in preventing incendiarism
arid pillage. The volunteer police, it is
added, will be quite, distinct from the
local force, and will be under the im
mediate orders of the Secretary-General.
The colonists in the Amber mountains have
also been advised by the Governor to adopt
defensive measures. V This!, evening the
Temps expresses the opinion that the
violation of territory which the Governor
describes as an invasion was not so serious
.as no reprtJBUiiuBu in tu ue» nuu iu aoulic»i.i».u
that, however, insolentthe Hovaa may be,
it seems difficult to . believe, that their
troops, who would soon ^receive from the
garrison of Diego-Suarez the chastisement
that their .audacity ; so richly' deserves,
have gone Ro.far as to make a direct
attack. At : any rate, the . French officials .
appear to be ; on the reverse of cordial
terms with the Malagasy^ Government.'
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